Luke James George

Leader

Overview (simplified)

Context

A group of outcasts, exiled from civilisation, are ordered North. Leaving the great walls of their home behind and moving into the heavily forested wildlands of the Outside, the group is escorted by a government ‘guide’ whose only task is to ensure that they conform to their one directive. Following the well beaten path of the many gone before, the outcasts know not what to expect. No one except the guides have ever returned from the north, and measures are taken to ensure their silence. Rumours are abound, of course, but the government are quick to discourage pointless conjecture, and those who are overly curious in matters of secrecy can often find their curiosity sated. Although, not in a manner they would consider pleasant.The small group toils ever northwards until one night, the group is attacked by an unknown beast. In a matter of seconds, their guide is wounded and an outcast is taken. With the circumstances suddenly changed, it is up to one of the outcasts to take the mantle of leadership and change the course of their future.

Description

Taking the role of a —you guessed it— leader, the player will attempt to build a community within a dense forest in the shadow of the government that abandoned them. Different NPC’s can be met in a variety of ways, and many have the potential to be recruited into the community, each offering unique skills that can be used for a variety of purposes. The forest offers an environment to explore, along with hazards. Danger can come in the form of other outcasts, guides, animals, and the Beast.

Mechanics

An RPG with a focus on character interaction and decision making, Leader will place the player into the shoes of whichever community member they please, with the ability to switch between each character at will. Building a community and thriving in difficult circumstances is a main theme in Leader, as such, resources are gathered, tasks undertaken, and areas explored with the aim of furthering the communities growth and capabilities. With limited resources, decisions are to be made about who can stay, and what tasks they shall undertake. And apart from the Leader, a character’s death is permanent. An early concept below.

Some early experiments with movement, exploration and vision. A top down vieszpoint in a forest environment is an interesting concept. Here, we utilise masking to represent the character’s vision and showing the pathways previously hidden in the trees.